The Joe presents new looks at still life
It wasn’t easy for Port St. Joe High School Art Instructor Julie Hodges to choose the winning art in the Joe Center for the Arts’ Reimagining The Still Life exhibition.
“What a difficult job it is as a judge or teacher to “grade” or place value on works of art. Our judgement of artwork is opinion-based and met with our own experiences of the world around us,” she said. “As I walked through the gallery… I was intrigued by each artist’s interpretation. Many of the works on display follow the traditional thinking of a still life and others focused on reconceptualizing the still life.”
At the April 25 opening reception, Marcy Trahan received a Special Judge’s Award for “The Flying Horse” and Best of Show for “Strings Attached.” Hodges prepared written critiques for each artist as to why their work was chosen to be highlighted.
“Trahan’s ‘Strings Attached’ is the best example of ‘reimagining’ the central theme of the show,” she wrote. “The subject matter is unique, original, and creative…No detail was unnoticed and no part of this composition was left untouched by the artist’s hand. The artist has mastered the use of watercolor to create an engaging work of art.”
Cheryl Ploegestra received first place for “Still Life w/Lawn Furniture,” which Hodges described as “a mundane scene of everyday objects reimagined through the unconventional placement of the objects, the large-scale objects themselves, and the choice in background. The artist successfully uses watercolors to convey the 3D quality of the subject matter. This is a well-executed work of art in that the artist successfully gives us the lights and shadows to create a very realistic portrayal of the lawn furniture.”
Second place went to Lu Chalk for her photo “A Glass Perfume Bottle;” Charlyn Milkowski’s assemblage “A Big Plase” took third. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Laura Tuvyana for “Bowl of Lemons;” Melina Elum for “Two Peapods;” and Kelly Klein for “Day is Done.”Reimagining the Still Life runs through May 30. The Joe’s hours are Wednesdays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, and Saturdays until 3 p.m. Admission is free and art works are available for purchase. The Joe Center for the Arts is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to educate, exhibit, partner, and inspire through the arts. Visit www.thejoecenter.org for info on upcoming exhibits, events, and activities.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.